Big Daddy

fictional character
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Feedback
Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login).
Thank you for your feedback

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

External Websites
Also known as: Big Daddy Pollitt
In full:
Big Daddy Pollitt

Big Daddy, fictional character, a wealthy plantation owner who confronts some painful truths with his son Brick in the play Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1955) by Tennessee Williams. Big Daddy is a willful and domineering patriarch who is unaware that he is dying of cancer. His hatred of mendacity leads him to a confrontation with his son in which Brick is forced to reveal some painful secrets; in retaliation, Brick reveals his father’s illness to him. The best-known portrayal of Big Daddy was that of Burl Ives in the 1958 film adaptation of the play.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Kathleen Kuiper.